KAKINADA: The management of Siripuram ZPH found themselves in a soup after a video surfaced showing few of their school students carrying bricks from the ground of the school to the under-construction site in the school. The matter came to light on Wednesday after parents of few students raised complaint that the students of the government school in Yeleswaram mandal of Kakinada district were made to carry bricks and help in building construction works.
On receiving information, the district educational officer Datla Subhadra and Mandal education officer B Abbai inspected the school.When questioned, headmaster of the school, T Nageswara Rao claimed that the students voluntarily helped the management. “The construction sand was dumped in front of the school gate. We had no workers and the sand would have eventually covered the entrance gate. One of the non-teaching staff asked few students to help in the process, claiming that they were her relatives and known. So, the students voluntarily helped in shifting the bricks from the ground floor to the top of the school,” added the headmaster.
However, when the DEO and the MEO contacted the students, they said that it has become a daily-routine for them to shift the bricks before the school starts. “Few of the students hesitate from coming to school early, in fear that they will be added to the manpower,” said some students of Class 6 and Class 7.
MEO B Abbayi said that additional classroom construction work is up in the school under the Nadu-Nedu project. “Three classrooms are being built at top of the existing building. The construction work is being done by the Vidya Committee so negligence is not expected,” said the MEO. The DEO warned the headmaster of strict action if any such incident is reported again.